Campaign Frenzy Has Hopefuls Taking Their Egg Nog to Go

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas--everywhere except the presidential campaign trail.

Once politicians hibernated during the fallow weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, leaving the holiday season to office parties and visions of sugarplum fairies. No more.

With the Iowa caucuses only 33 shopping days away, there has been no letup in a campaign moving faster than any in history. If anything, the pace quickened once the last scrap of turkey cleared the cutting board.

“This is what happens when you cram six months’ worth of primaries into a few weeks,” said Dan Schnur, a strategist for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The primary calendar has been so drastically telescoped, the nominations could be decided by mid-March.

As a result, the White House hopefuls (and their hard-pressed staffers) have hurtled through the joyous holiday season at breakneck speed. Not much of a holiday. Precious little joy, either.

Eric Hauser, press secretary for Democrat Bill Bradley, plans to celebrate Christmas for roughly 18 hours--the time it will take to fly to Chicago for a quick family dinner before returning to the campaign’s New Jersey headquarters. His season’s sentiment: “You grit your teeth and take what harmony and joy you can.”

Ho ho ho, indeed.

For the most part, the candidates have simply ignored the holiday season--and certainly the part about good will toward man. (“Did you know Bradley’s health care plan will imperil the coverage of Santa Claus?” ventured an aide to Vice President Al Gore.)

But with presents to wrap and parties to plan, is anyone even paying attention? When the Republicans recently debated in Phoenix, Dana Stafford skipped the broadcast and went shopping--even though she studies political science at Arizona State University.

“I wanted to watch, but I just didn’t have a chance,” she explained the next day at a breakfast featuring Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Of course, about 2 million people nationwide did watch the GOP debates. And, at this point, strategists are less interested in reaching a mass audience than a relatively small core of campaign junkies--the very sort who get their jollies caucusing rather than caroling.

“Campaigns are using this period less to appeal to voters than to position themselves with the political community,” said Schnur. “The political and media hierarchies form a set of impressions about each candidate and, in turn, help shape the impressions of more casual voters, who tune in just before the primaries.”

Since Thanksgiving, candidates in both parties have debated numerous times. And they have weighed in with some of the most important policy proposals, including Bush’s economic plan and McCain’s prescriptions for defense, health care and the environment.

Watching December’s flurry, New Hampshire Republican Chairman Steve Duprey “wondered if the crowds would go down or people would start grousing. But the crowds are big as ever, and people seem to be enjoying the political activity instead of resenting it.”

Personally, however, “I wouldn’t mind if they all took a week off.”

That sentiment may be shared inside the campaigns. Most beleaguered staffers have resigned themselves to snatching whatever holiday spirit they can between myriad tasks--from issuing press releases to preparing year-end financial statements--required of a presidential campaign.

Karen Hughes, Bush’s communications chief and den mother to a young staff, makes it her job to point out Christmas lights wherever the governor visits. K.B. Forbes, traveling press secretary for publisher Steve Forbes (no relation) recalled the radio host in Nashua, N.H., who wore green pants, a red shirt and a Christmas tie.

“It still seems like Christmas, in its own unique way,” said K.B. Forbes.

Even Hauser, Bradley’s gruff-talking spokesman, agreed the mood has a Rudolph-like way of cutting through the political fog. “You’ll be out campaigning somewhere and hear a couple Christmas carols and you get a little zing of the old spirit. In a way, that makes it even more precious.”